Concrete deflector



Oct. 10,1967 B. E. PETRICH 3,346,085

I CONCRETE DEFLECTOR Filed April 22, 1966 INVENTOR Fig-4. I Bernard. 5. Pefr'ich United States Patent 3,346,085 CONCRETE DEFLECTOR Bernard E. Petrich, 733 Splitlog Ave., Kansas City, Kans. 66101 Filed Apr. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 544,588 3 Claims. (Cl. 193-14) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A deflector attachment for directing the flow of material emanating from one end of a transversely U-shaped concrete chute or the like. The attachment includes an elongated, generally transversely U-shaped body presenting a pair of spaced, upwardly extending side portions. A generally D-shaped bail circumscribes the body and presents a straight length disposed above the side portions. A pair of elongated arms each have an eyelet receiving the straight length of the bail therethrough, the bail and thereby the body thus being swingable relative to the arms about an axis defined by the eyelets. Furthermore, the eyelets and thereby the arms, are shiftable longitudinally of the straight length of the bail. Each arm carries a hook at its end remote from its eyelet. The hooks are adapted for engaging respective opposite sides of the chute and are urged thereagainst by a spring whereby the hooks frictionally engage the sides of the chute to maintain the attachment in a predetermined position relative thereto.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling concrete and has as its primary object the provision of a deflector attachment for a pouring chute wherein flowing concrete may be directed from the chute along any one of a number of pouring paths, whereby a relatively large area may be covered with concrete without the necessity of moving the pouring chute. The pouring chute is normally supported from a concrete mixing truck which is backed into position adjacent the area to be covered, whereupon the concrete is directed downwardly and rearwardly along the chute. However, the area directly beneath the rear of the truck and the area beyond the natural path of flow from the chute cannot be covered except by repeatedly moving the mixing truck to shift the chute to each of the desired locations.

Accordingly, it is a very important object of my invention to provide a deflector for a concrete pouring chute wherein the deflector is shiftable to various positions to change the trajectoryof flow of concrete beyond the chute and also is shiftable into the path of travel to reverse the normal rearward flow of material emanating from the truck whereby areas directly beneath the rear of the truck may be covered without the necessity of moving the latter.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a deflector operable in the aforementioned manner wherein the deflector is a readily releasable unit which may be clamped on the chute for use and then easily removed in preparation for mounting on a subsequent concrete mixing truck. Furthermore, the deflector of the instant invention has an over-all sturdy construction and is well adapted for prolonged, heavy-duty work.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of my deflector showing the same mounted on a concrete pouring chute;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, parts thereof being broken away and in section to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

3,346,085 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, plan view of the deflector and chute shown in FIG. 2.

The deflector attachment of the present invention, broadly designated by the reference numeral 10, is adapted for use with a pouring chute 12 which is normally mounted in an inclined position on a concrete mixing truck whereby it receives the mixed concrete from the truck and directs the same rearwardly and downwardly, the concrete ultimately emanating from the end 14 of chute 12. The chute chosen for illustration is transversely U-shaped to present a pair of upper side edges 16 and has an arcuate rib 18 on the outer surface thereof adjacent end 14.

Deflector 10 includes an elongated, generally transversely U-shaped body 20 presenting a pair of spaced, upwardly extending sides 22, the latter being cut away to define opposed arcuate end edges 24. A generally D- shaped bail 26 circumscribes body 20 and includes an arcuate section 28 underlying the body, and an integral straight section 30 across the top of body 20 extending between sides 22. Bail 26 is secured to body 20 in closer proximal relationship to one end 32 of the body than the other end 34 thereof.

A clamp for securing body 20' to chute 12 includes a pair of hooks 36 adapted to engage corresponding side edges 16 of chute 12, there being an elongated, resilient element in the form of a tension spring 38 interconnecting the outer shank portions 40 of books 36. Each book 36 is provided with an eyebolt 42 having an arm 44 rigidly secured to the bight portion 46 of hook 36, the eye 48 of bolt 42 receiving straight section 30 of bail 26.

In use, hooks 36 are clamped over corresponding side edges 16 with tension spring 38 frictionally engaging the outer arcuate surface of chute 12. Arms 44 thereby extend in general parallelism with corresponding side edges 16 of chute 12 and outwardly beyond the end 14 thereof with eyes 48 and straight section 30 of bail 26 serving as hinge means to permit swinging of body 20 about an axis coin- .ciding with the longitudinal axis of straight section 30.

Since bail 26 is secured to body 20 in olf-center relationship with respect to ends 32 and 34, the center of gravity of the body is positioned between the hinge axis and end 34 of body 20, all to the end that body 20 swings to the full-line position of FIG. 1 for engagement with arcuate rib 18 rearwardly of bail 26. Rib 18 thereby precludes swinging of end 32 of body 20 into contact with spring 38.

When body 20 is in the full-line position of FIG. 1, concrete will flow along chute 12 and emanate from end 14 thereof onto the inner surface of body 20 for ultimate flow of the concrete from end 34 of body 20. Concrete will thus fall in natural trajectory from body 20' to cover an initial area therebeneath. To cover an additional area beyond the initial area, it is only necessary to manually swing end 34 of body 20 upwardly to change the flow trajectory of material emanating therefrom.

The maximum trajectory variance will be obtained as body 20 approaches a horizontal position, whereupon further swinging of body 20 places the latter into the path of travel of material emanating from end 14 of chute 12 and thereby reverses the flow direction to discharge concrete from end 32 of body 20. As concrete is discharged from end 32, it will cover an area directly beneath chute 12 and adjacent rear portions of the concrete mixing truck. The trajectory of material emanating from end 32 will be varied as body 20 is swung in an are about the hinge axis into various inclined positions, one such position being shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. Therefore, the total area covered by concrete emanating from chute 12 may be relatively large without the necessity of moving the mixing truck.

Deflector attachment 10 may be utilized on chutes of different sizes since eyes 48 of bolts 42 are relatively 3 shiftable on straight section 30 of bail 26, to the end that they may be moved to engage corresponding side edges of various chutes. Deflector attachment 10 will be maintained in position as tension spring 38 embraces the lower arcuate surface of the particular chute.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent. is:

1. A deflector attachment for directing the flow of material emanating from one end of a transversely U-shaped chute presenting a pair of opposed sides having upper margins, said attachment comprising:

an elongated, generally transversely U-shaped body presenting a pair of spaced, upwardly extending side portions;

an adjustable clamp adapted to engage said chute including arm structure extending toward the end of the latter; and

hinge means pivotally securing the body to the arm structure to permit swinging movement of the body through an arc extending into the path of travel of said material emanating from the end of the chute, sai-d clamp including a pair of spaced, relatively shiftable members adapted for releasably, frictionally engaging respective sides of the chute adjacent the margins thereof, and yieldable biasing means coupled with said members for urging the same toward said sides and into said frictional engagement therewith.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arm structure includes a pair of elongated arms, each arm being rigid with a respective member and shiftable therewith, said hinge means including an eyelet on each arm at one end thereof remote from its member and a bail member secured to said body and including a straight length disposed above said side portions and received through said eyelets.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said members each comprise a hook including an L-shaped portion presenting a vertical leg and a horizontal leg integral with the vertical leg, said vertical legs being disposed for frictionally engaging respective sides of the chute with the corresponding horizontal legs overlying respective upper margins of the sides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,985 2/1889 Herron 193l4 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEFLECTOR ATTACHMENT FOR DIRECTING THE FLOW OF MATERIAL EMANATING FROM ONE END OF A TRANSVERSELY U-SHAPED CHUTE PRESENTING OF PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDES HCING UPPER MARGINS, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY U-SHAPED BODY PRESENTING A PAIR OF SPACED, UPWARDLY EXENDING SIDE PORTIONS; AN ADJUSTABLE CLAMP ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID CHUTE INCLUDING ARM STRUCTURE EXTENDING TOWARD THE END OF THE LATTER; AND HINGE MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING THE BODY TO THE ARM STRUCTURE TO PERMIT SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE BODY THROUGH AN ARC EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID MATERIAL EMANATING FROM THE END OF THE CHUTE, SAID CLAMP INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED, RELATIVELY SHIFTABLE MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR RELEASABLY, FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE CHUTE ADJACENT THE MARGINS THEREOF, AND YIELDABLE BIASING MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID MEMBERS FOR URGING THE SAME TOWARD SAID SIDES AND INTO SAID FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH. 